“The Choice Bus” Visits Bibb County Middle School Students, Teaches Them to Stay in School

Students at Appling Middle School were in jail today.

Well, not really. But some of them did make a choice, after learning that 75% of prison inmates are school dropouts. Boarding the choice bus, these kids pledged to stay in school, and avoid the slammer.

“It made me wanna think twice about who I hang with and who I listen to, says Appling Middle School student Genesis Hawkins. “You don’t want to be in a place like that in that type of environment.”

It’s an initiative started by the Mattie C. Stewart foundation, who’s partnering with Communities in Schools and State Farm to get kids to realize the choices they make, even as early as elementary school, have consequences.

“They get behind in classes, they never catch up, those things all start to have an effect by middle school for sure,” says Choice Bus Senior Presenter Chet Pennock.

After getting on the bus, students met Monique, who had an eye-opening story.